MOROCCO – Morocco’s vegetable exports to Malaga has surged due to the current drought situation in the province that has resulted in fresh produce shortage.
The extreme heat and lack of rainfall in Spain have led to a dramatic drop in levels of Spain’s natural water reserves. The Vinuela reservoir near Malaga, for instance, is at just over 10% of its capacity.
Fresh foodstuffs from Morocco will be channeled to Malaga by ship through the freight line that connects the Malaga capital with Tangier-Med.
The freight line is currently being bolstered with a cargo vessel with greater capacity to meet the needs of the autumn period.
It is expected that the entry of fruit and vegetable products to Malaga by sea will reportedly increase by up to 40% over the course of October.
According to a report by East Fruit, the vessel Tom Sawyer began operating recently, replacing the ‘Friedrich Russ, which inaugurated the line and had been operating since last March.
This marks the beginning of the second phase of the project to commercially link the two shores, which is being carried out by the Malaga-based company Marítima Peregar.
“We have received the message from all the agents that for this season, which starts in October, taking into account the serious drought, we are going to need more imports of fruit and vegetable products,” said Joaquín Pérez-Muñoz, one of the operators at Marítima Peregar.
Meanwhile, Morocco’s fresh produce export market is currently on a speedy expansion phase with plans for the inclusion of other export destinations alongside Malaga.
Recently, the country, through Spain and Morocco-based produce shipper Agri-Naturelle, announced that it will become a major EU fresh produce supplier, as the sector continues to develop and open new export markets.
The company’s commercial director for Europe, Russia and Asia Tomás Amer told their local news outlet that their recent signing of phytosanitary protocols with Portugal was just one example indicating Morocco’s bright prospects as a major industry player.
“Every year Morocco is reaching new export protocol deals for fruit and vegetables with more countries,” Amer said.
“This is in line with the clear evolution in the industry’s phytosanitary standards, packing practices and new logistical routes both by land and sea to be able to sell produce at competitive prices in numerous world markets.”
According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the Moroccan fruits and vegetables market size is expected to grow from USD 4.19 billion in 2023 to USD 5.15 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 4.21% during the forecast period (2023-2028).
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